1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to accessories for voting devices and, more particularly, to a specially-adapted utility cart for storage and/or transport of a voting terminal, optical scan ballot counter and ballot box in a useable configuration, for parking said optical scan ballot counter and voting terminal in an accessible position for use by a voting judge or voter, the utility cart incorporating a deployable privacy curtain for maintaining voter confidentiality.
2. Description of the Background
Voting is one of the most fundamental acts of a democratic society, and the privacy of the voters is paramount for several reasons. First of all, privacy avoids post-election partiality by the winning government. Secondly, privacy ensures that voters are not influenced by the popular vote. For these reasons there are laws to ensure voter privacy, and voting booths to comply with these laws.
A voting booth provides an individual voter with an enclosed area for casting a vote, using a ballot, mechanical, or electronic voting system, at a polling-place facility. This ensures voter anonymity. Voting booths can be permanent against-the-wall enclosures each having a door or curtain. However, given the infrequent nature of elections polling places are seldom single purpose facilities. Most polling-places are temporary facilities—often times schools, halls, and local government offices—that are used for voting on a temporary basis because elections only occur periodically over a short time period. Permanent voting booth installations are not possible in this case, and instead it is necessary to store and transport multiple voting booths between a storage location (during non-election periods) and the polling-place (during elections). Consequently, voting booths are typically free-standing temporary structures having a shelf and privacy panels that obstruct the view of others in the vicinity.
Some jurisdictions are entirely paper-based, and voters punch cards and deposit them in a ballot box. However, electronic voting systems are increasingly replacing traditional paper-based voting systems due to convenience and ease and accuracy of counting votes. There are paperless electronic voting systems such as public network kiosks that use electronic ballots to transmit vote data from the polling place to another location over a public network.
Whether traditional paper-based or paperless, the terminal equipment is relatively portable. Consequently, the voting booths used are typically free-standing platforms with a shelf and privacy panels such as shown in the present inventor's U.S. application Ser. No. 12/719,996 filed 9 Mar. 2010.
However, traditional paper-based systems are not in widespread use due to the inconvenience and propensity for error in tabulating votes, and security issues or paperless systems are not in widespread use due to security issues and the difficulty in auditing results. Consequently, most electronic systems in use today still compile a paper ballot. For example, the most prevalent voting terminals are direct-recording electronic (DRE) voting machines which record votes by means of an electronic ballot display (typically a touchscreen) that records voting data and ballot images onto a removable memory component, and as a printed copy.
There are many manufacturers of DREs including Diebold Election Systems, ES&S, Sequoia Voting Systems, Hart Intercivic, etc. For example, the AutoMARK™ voter assist terminal by AutoMARK Technical Services (ATS) is a ballot-marking terminal sized at approximately 2′×2′×1.5°) and features a fold-out 15″ full-color touch-screen display. Voters securely cast their vote for each race and/or ballot proposition simply through the touch of the screen or by way of audio guidance. When the voter inserts the ballot into the AutoMARK, an electronic version of the ballot appears on the screen and can be read electronically to the voter. Upon the voter's direction, the AutoMARK marks the ovals on the optical scan ballot.
Whether using a DRE or any other optical scan voting terminal the voter completes a paper ballot and the voter (or official) inserts this ballot into an optical scan ballot counter for tabulation, after which the paper ballot is deposited into a sealed ballot box. Again, there are many manufacturers of ballot counters. For example, the ES&S Model D200 is an easy-to-use, high-speed central paper ballot counter and vote tabulator that processes at a speed of over 300 ballots per minute. The ES&S Model DS200 Ballot Counter is approximately the size of a large computer server (approximately 2.5′×2′×4.5′) and nests within a ballot box approximately the size of a standard household garbage can. The ballot box has a hinged lid that opens to expose/deploy the ballot counter seated therein. In use, the ES&S DS200 functions much like a traditional paper ballot system. Upon entering the voting precinct, the voter will receive a paper ballot; the voter then shades in the paper ballot with any standard pen or pencil and inserts the ballot into the ES&S DS200, where they are given a chance to review their votes. The DS200 optically scans the ballot and drops the ballot into the ballot box. As votes are entered, the ES&S DS200 stores the vote tallies on its internal memory card. When the polls close, the ES&S DS200 prints out the precinct's vote report on paper.
Many voting precincts use DRE equipment such as the ES&S DS200, and they typically employ six to twelve voting stations each having a optical scan voting tabulator and ballot box. It is not an easy task for precinct workers to deliver, move in, set up, monitor, remove and return to storage this voting equipment. Most precincts now either manually carry and transport the equipment on multiple trips or use standard utility carts similar to those which carry folding chairs. These generic utility carts normally comprise a simple platform mounted on wheels or casters to provide mobility, and upwardly protruding side-members to constrain the equipment. Such carts take no security precautions to prevent theft or tampering of the items stored within the cart, and do not facilitate on-board access to the equipment. Additionally the use of generic carts with standard platforms does not position the voting equipment at the optimum height. Nevertheless, the equipment for each voting booth (optical scan ballot tabulator, and ballot box) is loaded onto the utility cart which is then wheeled into position (proximate the voting terminals) for use. Since the equipment is not accessible while on the cart, it must be off-loaded and the cart removed for voting. After voting the process is reversed.
It would be much more convenient to devise a utility cart that houses the optical scan ballot tabulator and ballot box combination fully protected while in transport or storage, and yet deployable for setup and use while still seated in the utility cart. What is needed is a ballot box cart with strong compartmentalized mechanical restraints to protect against shifting of the equipment, robust security features to protect against theft and/or tampering with the equipment, and yet fully articulated to provide frontal and side access to the voting equipment to allow access to and control of their consoles. In addition, it would be advantageous to provide a ballot box cart with deployable privacy mechanism to erect an enclosed area for balloting, that retracts and stows for easy transport and storage.